Packing your own beach towels

[Chigirlcruzin]

22 cruises and never had an issue with losing the cruise line's towel. Save your money and packing space.

 

 

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[KCpumkin]

I love when people ask questions and they get hammered for asking. No one is stressing or worried about a towel. The fact is some people are not made of money and should be aware of the costs of losing a towel. Knowledge is power and whether you care or not --> don't judge others :rolleyes:

[lizardhowson]

I love when people ask questions and they get hammered for asking. No one is stressing or worried about a towel. The fact is some people are not made of money and should be aware of the costs of losing a towel. Knowledge is power and whether you care or not --> don't judge others :rolleyes:

 

Perhaps you might re-read the posts. Almost everyone who posted they bring their own towels indicated they do so because they were worried about losing Carnival towels. In reality, the likelihood of losing one of those great big towels is very low, probably about the same risk as losing your carry-on during embarkation. The point is, there are a whole group of worriers who find a reason to worry about so many unnecessary things (towels, losing their passports, tablecloths in the dining rooms, no mints on the pillows, etc). As to the cost of replacement, I suspect it rarely happens. My experience is the towel hut is often unstaffed, my room steward has removed my wet beach towels multiple times and forgot to replace them - a simple request later and he/she brings clean ones to our cabin. And in the unlikely event one should have to pay the fee for a towel, compared to the cost of the cruise, the cost of the alcohol most slosh down, betting in the casino, the cost of photographs many buy, shopping/souvenirs/excursions in ports, that fee is really not really significant that it will impact their cruise budget more that their other expenses.

[erinmarie424]

We've taken them a couple times when we had space in the suitcase, but not always. Our smaller, thinner towels are good enough for drying off after snorkeling and much easier to carry in a backpack than the big ones from the ship, especially when wet.

[mistyinca]

Has anyone here ever been charged for one of the towels? So many people leave them on chairs and they get scooped up by the attendants at the end of the day. I gotta believe its very rare for someone to get charged for a towel.

[cruzeluver]

At this point in our cruising history, we are looking for ways to bring less, not more. In 20 cruises we have yet to lose a cruise line's beach towel or have one stolen so we are good to continue using their's.

Edited September 6, 2016 by cruzeluver

[bakersdozen12]

On my next cruise, I will be bringing one of my own. I have several excursions planned with beach time worked into them. The Carnival towels are very thick, and I can't fit them in my beach bag. So I'm bringing the thin one that I bought in Nassau this summer. It will easily fit in my bag along with a change of clothes.

 

 

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[TerReuv]

Never even thought of packing my own towel. On the last cruise I just came off, they had a bin for dirty towels and a bin for clean ones. No one was watching to see if you took the same number you put in the dirty bin. I'm sure if you really lost one it would have been easy enough to get a replacement without anyone knowing.

 

This! As much as I hate to admit it, when on our last cruise we took our towels to Grand Turk with us. We had rented a golf cart for the day and that back seat got hot in the sun. Well, I was going to take the towel into the place we stopped at and my group told me that no one would want the towel and to leave it on the seat so it would stay cool. Of course, when we returned to the cart, the towel was missing. I was so ticked that I listened to others.

 

When we got back on the ship, I grabbed a new one from the bin. Easy Peasy. I have to say that I might use the suggestion of using one of the white ones next time so I don't have to worry about the towel disappearing. Who would have thought someone would steal that stupid blue towel!?

[Californiacruizers]

I have packed beach towels for my kids and I; they were the thin cheap towels from Wal-Mart.

 

My kids were always able to find our chairs by looking for their beach towel(each towel had characters on them).

 

On our NCL cruise there was a $25.00 per towel replacement fee if you removed the beach towels from the room and did not return them to the room. The towels did not take up much space, yet were one less thing I had to worry about paying for at the end of the cruise.

[Doggielover68]

I've never really worried about losing the Carnival towels, but we also are never very far from our stuff. I would definitely be ticked off if I had to pay to replace one, but I'm willing to take that risk rather than deal with carrying my own dirty towels around for a week. I try to pack as light as possible and need that little bit of leftover space for souvenirs :)

 

 

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[MaiTaiMary]

Wasted space in luggage. I wouldn't bring beach towels. We use the towels so much, I can't imagine using the same wet towel over and over again for a week. (or worse... having to do laundry just to wash your own towels.)

 

When we're at the pool, it's hit or miss if they even check our S &S card to get towels. I've never been concerned about losing them. One time they told us we didn't have return the same amount of towels we checked out and we told them they had it incorrect.These were all the towels we had. No biggie. We weren't charged anything.

[loretta5ue]

Hubby and I bought a couple microfiber towels at REI. They're solid color and I put them into our carry-ons that we stow under the plane seats in front of us. They provide lightweight cover on chilly flights (and I know they are clean and unused by others). They are great beach towels, sand shakes right out easily. Fast drying and resistant to smells. (I've actually washed them in the shower and let them drip dry overnight.) The ones we bought can be rolled up and stored in the accompanying case that came with them.

 

 

We use this type too... I got them for a Ragnar Relay, they are lightweight and take up as much space as a 12oz bottle of soda. So much better than taking a ship's towel

 

 

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[ginjer2911]

Hubby and I bought a couple microfiber towels at REI. They're solid color and I put them into our carry-ons that we stow under the plane seats in front of us. They provide lightweight cover on chilly flights (and I know they are clean and unused by others). They are great beach towels, sand shakes right out easily. Fast drying and resistant to smells. (I've actually washed them in the shower and let them drip dry overnight.) The ones we bought can be rolled up and stored in the accompanying case that came with them.

 

I have been thinking about getting some of those. I have decided that this year my girls are going to carry their own stuff and I am concerned that those Carnival towels are going to be too heavy when it wet.

[abisha]

I once brought Carnival's beach towel on an excursion and it took up too much space (too cumbersome) in my beach bag (not to mention, I have to carry DH's too cuz he is disabled and cannot handle carrying to much stuff on him), so I bring a couple of "smaller" regular sized bath towels with me, and it works out just fine. No worries with it in the luggage either.

[louanne93]

I take a couple of the Walmart 3.88 ones...they are so thin anyway I can take up very little space rolling them up and taking them with. With what Carnival charges for one of their "special" blue towels I can bring and lose 7 of the walmart towels. I just don't feel like paying for an overpriced towel ...

I do this too!

 

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[coevan]

We love microfiber towels. The fold to the size of a handkerchief, dry very quickly, and take up very little room in your beach bag.

Edited September 8, 2016 by coevan

[h_blond2]

I always take my own. I tend to use the Carnival towels on the ship and take my own into the ports.

[Athankfulheart]

I realize that Carnival supplies towels to each room for use at the pool and HMC, but does anyone pack their own beach towels for whatever reason, simply because it is theirs or not to have to keep track of Carnival's towels?

 

We bring some raqpak microfiber travel towels for my husband and I when we go ashore because the carnival ones get so heavy when wet. They take as much space as a pair of mens socks.

 

If we sail with our kids, we have each bring a low profile beach towel only if we are planning a catamaran excursion because we always loose one to the wind :o

 

We travel light - using only one backpack each, but the towels are worth the real estate in the bag. We do use the carnival towels while aboard the ship and sometimes at the beach, they are just a pain to haul back if there are more than one.

[valentinebaby1]

We do bring our own towels, because it is nice to have towels that don't look like everyone else. It does take up some luggage space, but we also found them to be very handy to use as packing material for bottles of alcohol and other souvenirs we purchased.

 

The big blue towels are nice while on the ship, but they are very heavy when wet!

 

There was one time that we had planned on taking our blue Carnival towels with us on an excursion, but we somehow managed to have wet blue towels when we went to bed the night before, and there was no one at the towel desk to swap them out that night or in the morning before we left for our excursion. We had even called housekeeping to ask for clean towels before we left but they never brought them. We were lucky we had our own towels to take with us that day.

 

And since we usually extend our cruise trips with a couple days on land, it's been nice to have our own towels then as well. One stay was in a condo and it was supposed to have beach towels but we never found them, so again it was good that we had our own.

[mainepaddler]

I find it interesting how people think about money. Based on the fear of losing a $25 beach towel people will spend $5 on what they describe as disposable towels...for each person...for each cruise. :rolleyes:

 

I prefer to "take the risk" and enjoy a clean towel every day and extra room in my luggage.

[Snowbaby369]

Many years ago we took our two youngest children on vacation to Florida. They each had their own special beach towel. I believe Rachel had Little Mermaid. We were by a pool and there was another family across the way. Rachel's towel went missing. She said Mommy....those people took my towel. I told her I was sure they would not do such a thing. She was relentless. I finally took her over and explained to one of the mothers that our towel was missing, and maybe possibly they had inadvertently picked it up. The mother was quite angry and snapped at us that no they did NOT have the towel. Rachel was about 6 at the time and I said well, honey I guess it's lost. As I was trying to move her along she stomped her little foot and said mommy....it's under her chair....and low and behold it WAS!! The lady tried to hide it, and Rachel was not giving up. At that point I saw it too, and insisted the lady give it back. We still have that towel, and Rachel is now a lawyer, and doesn't back down from anyone!

[2xsin12mths]

If I have an excursion that does not supply beach towels I take thin cheap ones. I hate dragging around carnivals big heavy blue towels after an excursion while I'm shopping in port.

 

 

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[Bookmarker]

Yes, I bring my personalized Mickey Mouse beach towel and coordinating Minnie Mouse towel clips to hold it to my lounger. It was purchased as a joke gift for Christmas with my cruise critic board name on it...but the joke is on the recipient; because I've used it with a great big smile every cruise since!:D

 

I only travel in a 20 inch wheeled carry on and a large tote bag (purse) and everything fits nicely with room to spare. My towel is the last thing in my bag folded twice and laid on top of everything else. I've only had to expand my bag to get home, because my mom did way too much shopping and needed help getting all of her purchases home!:eek:

[Doggielover68]

I find it interesting how people think about money. Based on the fear of losing a $25 beach towel people will spend $5 on what they describe as disposable towels...for each person...for each cruise. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

I prefer to "take the risk" and enjoy a clean towel every day and extra room in my luggage.

 

 

My thoughts exactly.

 

 

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[evandbob]

Every one is entitled to their opinion and I cannot fault others for not agreeing with me or doing things differently. There is no right answer here, except the one that you are comfortable with.

 

That said, I would never take my own towels on a cruise or land vacation. I have never heard or read about a cruise line charging for a missing towel. I did leave one on a bus coming back from Tabayana Beach and my cabin steward replaced it without me even asking.

 

As far as the towels being too heavy to carry when wet , come on, it's a few pounds, no big deal for me, and I am a senior.

 

I do like the idea of exchanging the towel just after security when reboarding the ship.

 

For those who bring microfiber towels, great idea, I've been doing microfiber briefs and tees for the longest time, as I only use one 21" carry on bag to pack.

 

The best towel I've gotten from Carnival came as a casino comp on a casino cruise fare, very fluffy and a bit larger maybe the regular blue Carnival towel. I use that at my condo pool during the summer.

Edited September 9, 2016 by evandbob